Pumpkins, Monsters and… Hello Kitty???

I love holidays. Any holiday really and any chance to throw a party, cook some great food and make some great crafts. Luckily I have a family that loves it just as much and is not only willing to egg me on but also kind enough to join in.

So I have to admit I have an addiction. They are called cake pops. I will find any excuse to make them and I am loving trying new and exciting themes. My kiddos are obsessed with anything chocolate. They take after their dad for that cuz I am a lover of anything with vanilla and caramel. So remember you can use any type of cake but not sure you will ever see anything other than chocolate used in my cake pops. I’m, of course, just learning to master cake pops but I borrowed an amazing book from the library written by Angie Dudley. She is the creator of www.bakerella.com She is the queen of cake pops!

Feel like trying them yourself??? Here is the basic recipe for cake pops

Makes 48 cake pops

You will need:

1 box of cake mix of your choice

9X13 cake pan

Large mixing bowl

16 ounce container of ready make frosting

large spoon

parchment paper

2 baking sheets

plastic wrap

2 pounds of candy coating

deep microwave safe bowl

Directions:

Bake the cake as directed on the box. Let cool completely.

Crumble the cooled cake into a large mixing bowl. You should not see any large pieces of cake. Add 3/4 of the container of frosting. (you will not need the rest). Mix the icing into the crumbled cake using the back of a spoon, until thoroughly combined.

The mixture should be moist enough to roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and still hold a round shape. After rolling the cake balls by hand, place them on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours in the refrigerator.

Once thoroughly cooled, place the candy coating in a deep, microwave-safe bowl.(I like to use a two cup glass measuring cup). Melt the candy coating, at 50% power for thirty seconds at a time, stirring with a spoon in between. Very important that you don’t over heat.

Now you’re ready to dip. Take a few cake balls at a time out of the fridge to work with. One at a time, dip about 1/2 inch of the tip of a lollipop stick into the melted candy coating, and then insert the lollipop stick straight into a cake ball, pushing it no more than halfway through.

Holding the lollipop stick with cake ball attached, dip the entire cake ball into the melted candy coating until it is completely covered and remove it in one motion. Make sure the coating meets at the base of the lollipop stick. This helps secure the bake ball to the stick when the coating sets. The object is to completely cover the cake ball and remove it without submerging it in the coating more than once.

When you remove the cake pop from the candy coating, some excess coating may start to drip. Hold the cake pop in one hand and use the other hand or a spoon to tap the end of the stick gently to remove excess. Rotate the stick to help it fall off evenly.

Repeat with remaining cake pops and let dry completely.

Store the cake pops in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for several days.